A Pretty Wonderful Electric Kettle: The Farberware Electric Glass Kettle!

The Good: Boils water fast, Easy to clean, Affordable
The Bad: Comparatively loud, Stiff electric cord.
The Basics: The Farberware 1.7 L Electric Glass Kettle is a decent electric kettle that does exactly what it promises in terms of boiling water fast!


Not long ago, after a decent five years of fairly heavy use, my electric kettle finally gave out. The Ovente 1.5 Liter Glass Electric Kettle (reviewed here!) did an amazing job of holding up over the years, at least for my family and I. Needing a replacement fast, I had to find a new (to me) electric kettle and we decided to go with the affordable, easy-to-find locally Farberware Electric Glass Kettle.

The Farberware Electric Glass Kettle is, as its name suggests, a clear glass kettle used to boil water. The Farberware Electric Glass Kettle has a bright blue light at the bottom where the heating coils are for no practical reason. In fact, the only reason I can tell to have the light in the electric kettle is to determine when the unit is actively heating the water. The Farberware 1.7 L Electric Glass Kettle is a two-piece electric device that is designed solely to boil water . . . fast. The Electric Glass Kettle is comprised of a stainless steel and black plastic base and the actual glass kettle, with a black plastic handle and lid.

The base is a simple six inch in diameter plastic disc with a cord that plugs into a two-prong wall socket. The cord is twenty-eight and one-half inches long, but for those who do not need a cord that has to stretch even that far, below the disc are tabs that allow the user to wind the cord up and contain it under the unit. Unfortunately, the cord is unusually stiff and, as a result, it truly only winds once around the base, lest the stiffness prevent the heating disc from laying flat on the counter upon which the unit is placed. There are soft-rubber feet on the underside which both protect finer surfaces from any sort of scratching from the plastic bass. Moreover, the rubber feet provide friction so the unit is remarkably stable and does not move from any flat surface I've set it upon. Considering the whole point of this gadget is to boil water, stability of the unit is essential.

Atop the disc is a knob that comes from a slightly raised, contoured inner disc. This is where the kettle itself attaches to the base. The base simply plugs into the wall and sits where one leaves it.

The actual electric kettle portion is an eight and three-quarter inch tall glass pot that is accented with matte black plastic for the handle, activation lever and flip top and stainless steel for the base ring. The kettle sets on the base and when together, they are very stable and hard to tip over. The kettle has a 1.7 Liter capacity (in practical terms, this is more than two full steeping pots worth of tea!) and it takes seven minutes, fifteen seconds to come to a very full boil.

Operating the Farberware Electric Glass Kettle is exceptionally easy: fill with water, place the kettle on the base (assuming it's plugged in), depress the lever on the bottom base of the kettle (the bottom of the base of the glass kettle up neon blue when active) and wait. The unit turns itself off when it is done. Because it has an automatic shut-off, one cannot burn down their house with the Farberware 1.7 L Electric Glass Kettle!

And then all you need to do is pour your boiling water out and is it that simple. Refilling the unit is a snap because of the spring-loaded top which opens by pressing a button on the handle. Moreover, the button is positioned in such a way that makes accidentally opening the top and spilling boiling water on oneself virtually impossible.

More than any other electric kettle I have used, the Farberware Electric Glass Kettle is loud when the water in it is boiling. As it nears a boil, this kettle makes a lot of noise, which was an unfortunate surprise with the unit.

Cleanup of the Farberware 1.7 L Electric Glass Kettle is impressively easy. First, I recommend only using filtered water in the unit. Whenever I fill the Farberware 1.7 L Electric Glass Kettle, I use water from my Brita Oceania Pitcher Filtration System (reviewed here!) and even with very hard water in my apartment, the Farberware 1.7 L Electric Glass Kettle has only required minimal cleaning. The glass sides of the pitcher make it virtually impossible for any build-up to build up on the surface of the electric kettle. A damp cloth may be used to clean the base after it is unplugged.

The Farberware 1.7 L Electric Glass Kettle is all right, but it is a bit louder and has a bigger footprint than I find ideal.

For other electric kettles, please check out my reviews of:
Hamilton Beach K1050 Electric Kettle
Chef's Choice 675 Electric Kettle
Hamilton Beach 45802B Electric Kettle

7.5/10

For other kitchen appliances, please visit my Home And Garden Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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For Those Who Have Use For It, The Wowly Pistachio Bowl Is Wonderful!

The Good: Durable, Inexpensive, Easy to use, Clever concept
The Bad: Nothing really.
The Basics: The Wowly Pistachio Bowl does all that it promises remarkably well!


Somewhere along the line, recently, I became a person who had virtually everything I ever wanted. There are a few "Grail Gifts" that remain on the list (with Robert Guillaume's passing recently one of the biggest is now likely out of reach), but for the most part, I have all I want. While this is nice for me in my day to day life, I have become a righteous pain in the ass for my wife to shop for on holidays and personal milestones. As such, she has gotten quite creative in trying to find gifts to give me. One of the most recent successes in her search for new things for me to use (and for her to give me) was the Wowly Pistachio Bowl.

I am a huge fan of pistachios and for the past two and a half decades, I have eaten pistachios with a bowl and a mini plastic garbage can for the shells, which I would then use in my landscaping. This was not an ideal solution to the problem of what to do with the shells from pistachios. The Wowly Pistachio Bowl is pretty much the perfect solution to trying to keep pistachios and their shells separated while consuming them.

The Wowly Pistachio Bowl is actually a pair of dishes that nest together. The top of the Wowly Pistachio Bowl is a 6" by 4 7/8" wide by 1 1/4" tall dish that acts as a tray for one's pistachio nuts. That tray fits into the top of the actual Wowly Pistachio Bowl. The tray portion fits snugly into the groove around the top edge of the bowl. The Wowly Pistachio Bowl is an oval shaped bowl that is then flared out on the long sides to have a hole that provides access to the bottom portion of the bowl.

The basic concept of the Wowly Pistachio Bowl is that consumers will pull a fresh pistachio nut from the top tray, crack open the shell, consume the meat within and then drop the shells through the flared out slots on the sides so the empty shells accumulate in the bowl below the tray. And it works perfectly. If one consumes a lot of pistachios in a single sitting, one might need to shake the bowl a little to settle the shells out to make room for more, incoming, shells.

When one is done consuming pistachios, simply detach the top tray portion and dump the shells from the Wowly Pistachio Bowl wherever one dumps their pistachio shells (I live in a forest, so there are a lot of all-natural options for me!). The Wowly Pistachio Bowl wipes clean exceptionally easily and it is top-rack dishwasher safe.

The Wowly Pistachio Bowl might be a very specific kitchen tool, but for those who love pistachios, it is perfect for one's needs!

For other kitchen gadgets, please check out my reviews of:
ThinkGeek Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glasses
Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven
Home Essentials Can Opener

10/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please visit my Home And Garden Product Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Sturdy Glassware, Disintegrating Feature, ThinkGeek Disappoints With The Battle Of Hoth Pint Glasses [2017 Review This Again]!

The Good: Good initial artwork, Good glassware
The Bad: Expensive for pint glasses, "Function" does not work properly, Not dishwasher safe, Incredibly poor durability - decals wear off completely!
The Basics: The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glasses from ThinkGeek quickly degenerate into pretty standard pint glasses, making for a disappointing investment.


[There is a big meme in the art community going around now called "Draw This Again." In the meme, artists illustrate how they have grown in their chosen medium by putting side-by-side pictures of art they created in the past and now. My wife had the great idea that I should do something similar with my reviewing. So, for 2017, I will be posting occasional "Review This Again" reviews, where I revisit subjects I had previously reviewed and review them again, through a lens of increased age, more experience, and - for some - greater familiarity with the subject. This review is one such review, where I am re-experiencing ThinkGeek's image-changing Star Wars pint glasses. These glasses were originally reviewed here!]

My wife is pretty incredible in terms of finding gifts for me, despite me being a tough person to shop for. Despite that, she often finds fun things to give me and it always stinks when she makes the effort and the gift turns out to be a lemon. Such, however, is the case with the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth pint glasses. My wife picked me up a pair of the ThinkGeek Star Wars Battle Of Hoth pint glasses, but within a month of hand-washing the glassware, the decals on them had completely worn off, making them virtually indistinguishable from other, plain clear-glass pint glasses.

The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 are two identical pint glasses that feature artwork from The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The pint glasses are predominantly blue and white and feature the AT-AT's coming across the ice plains of Hoth with a snowspeeder headed toward them.

The Star Wars Pint Glass Set Of 2 features artwork that is identical to the promotional photos of the AT-ATs on Hoth that have appeared in books and things like toy boxes for years - since The Empire Strikes Back was released. The AT-ATs are silkscreened on heavy, clear glass. Each set of two is identical. As the name implies, each pint glass holds a little over two cups worth of liquid. A whole 16 fl. oz. fits into the glass. Wider at the top, the 5 3/4” tall clear glass drinking glasses are both identical, including the image silkscreened onto them.

The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 was constructed with a color-changing gimmick. The snowspeeder is supposed to be invisible until a cold liquid is placed into the glass. Unfortunately, the snowspeeder is entirely visible, regardless of there being any liquid in the glass and while it is initially faint, it does get darker like it is supposed to. When a cold liquid is placed in the pint glass, the snowspeeder gets more distinct and darker, but it never truly fades to be anywhere near close to surprising for its appearance when a liquid is added. This was less of a detraction for me because the snowspeeder being visible the whole time looks authentic and cool - and is appropriate for the setting without any form of "cloaking."

Unfortunately, the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 is entirely lacking on the durability front. It took less than a week of using and cleaning the pint glasses before each of them showed noticeable wear. While the snowspeeder on the glasses held up fine, the rest of the silkscreening showed some chips and scratches. The glasses are not dishwasher safe and having hand washed the pint glasses with softer cloths to try to avoid damage, it was especially frustrating that the glasses already show wear to the silkscreening. It took less than a month of use before the entire decal sleeve slid right off both of the glasses, making them just plain, dull pint glasses. This is entirely disappointing for any Star Wars fan who likes the concept and spends the money on them.

ThinkGeek appeared to rush the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth pint glasses to market before the technology was perfected, making for a gift that will ultimately disappoint their target audience.

For other kitchen supplies, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Pint Glass Set Of 4
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey Mug
Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set

.5/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please be sure to visit my Kitchen Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Worthless After A Couple Weeks: The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glasses Flop (2017 Review This Again!)

The Good: The glassware itself is durable and good.
The Bad: No durability outside the underlying glass, Expensive for pint glasses, "Function" does not work properly, Not dishwasher safe
The Basics: The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glasses take about three weeks of washing before they are just plain glass pint glasses.


[There is a big meme in the art community going around now called "Draw This Again." In the meme, artists illustrate how they have grown in their chosen medium by putting side-by-side pictures of art they created in the past and now. My wife had the great idea that I should do something similar with my reviewing. So, for 2017, I will be posting occasional "Review This Again" reviews, where I revisit subjects I had previously reviewed and review them again, through a lens of increased age, more experience, and - for some - greater familiarity with the subject. This review is one such review, where I am re-experiencing ThinkGeek's image-changing Star Wars pint glasses. These glasses were originally reviewed here!]

Sometimes, in my enthusiasm to review something, I jump the gun on the product. That is pretty much what happened with the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set. My wife bought me the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 and I was initially very happy with them despite the fact that the appearing Millennium Falcon feature did not actually work. But what ultimately made me re-review these pint glasses was simple: within three weeks of daily use and hand-washing (never in the dishwasher!) the sleeve-like image silk screened onto the clear glass pint glass was destroyed, having peeled off and leaving only a pretty much worthless pint glass.

The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 are two identical pint glasses that feature artwork based on The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The pint glasses are predominantly blue and white and feature the Millennium Falcon flying toward the Cloud City station hovering in the clouds of Bespin.

The Star Wars Pint Glass Set Of 2 features artwork that looks like the original optical painting of Cloud City silkscreened on heavy, clear glass. Each set of two is identical and features the same glass in duplicate. As the name implies, each pint glass holds a little over two cups worth of liquid. A whole 16 fl. oz. fits into the glass. Wider at the top, the 5 3/4” tall clear glass drinking glasses are both identical, including the artwork silkscreened onto them.

Unfortunately, the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 was constructed with a color-changing gimmick. The Millennium Falcon is supposed to be invisible until a cold liquid is placed into the glass. Sadly, the Millennium Falcon is entirely visible, regardless of there being any liquid in the glass and it is about as faint as the Cloud City station; which is deliberately hazy to give it a sense of perspective, being further back. When a cold liquid is placed in the pint glass, the Millennium Falcon gets more distinct and darker, but it never truly fades to be anywhere near close to surprising for its appearance when a liquid is added.

The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 is not at all durable. It took less than a week of using and cleaning the pint glasses before each of them showed noticeable wear, less than three weeks before the entirety of the silk screened images were gone, leaving only a clear glass pint glass behind. The Star Wars logo on the bottom remained perfectly intact, but the main image around the pint glass entirely disintegrated . . . and that was from hand-washing, as directed! The glasses are not dishwasher safe and having hand washed the pint glasses with softer cloths to try to avoid damage, it was especially frustrating that the glasses ended up without any of their imagery on them. By contrast, I've had a set of Buffy The Vampire Slayer pint glasses for over five years that have been washed by hand (and once a year in the dish washer) and not one of them has a scratch or chip in the artwork!

Fans of Star Wars are likely to fall in love with the concept of the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set, but be utterly disappointed by the results of how even cleaning destroys the unique aspect of the glasses.

For other kitchen supplies, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey Mug
CocoStraw Stainless Steel Straw Set
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Pint Glass Set Of 4

.5/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please be sure to visit my Kitchen Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A "Bells And Whistles" Toaster Oven: The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven!

The Good: Cooks evenly and well, Very stylish, Easy-to-clean, Decent capacity
The Bad: Controls are not intuitive, Large footprint, Comparatively expensive, No "off" button!
The Basics: The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven is more toaster oven than most anyone will need . . . and users have to pay for that overkill!


For the past week, I have been in one of my favorite places on Earth. The return to a place I have always loved has been a real divided experience for me. On the big plus side, I'm somewhere I love to be; on the minor negative side, it has changed. The kitchen, especially, where I am is virtually unrecognizable to the room I spent many happy hours in in the past. That said, the new kitchen is legitimately awesome and it is stocked with brand new products that I have had a chance to truly play with and now review. The first one I decided to focus on is the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven for the very simple reason that out of all the new appliances, it is the one I am most comfortable using! There is something intimidating about working in a kitchen where one is acutely aware that they are unable to afford to replace or repair anything they damage. Even I could (eventually) afford a Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven!

The Breville BOV450XL model is fairly new to the market and it looks very modern. Built with a stainless steel finish and a slew of buttons and a dial, the front of the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven prominently features a digital display that very clearly states times and temperature. The display face is excellent for anyone who goes into the kitchen bleary-eyed in the morning and forgot their glasses elsewhere!

The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven is a toaster oven which has both multiple toasting settings and oven-heating settings. That means the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven is designed for toasting bread and baking small dishes. The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven is 15 1/5" wide by 8 1/2" tall by 13" deep and because of the heating elements inside has an internal, usable space of 11" by 11" by 4". The internal space makes it just big enough to cook a small casserole, a small tray of muffins, three full slices of pizza or three whole bagels. This is a decent alternative on small cooking projects from a standard oven as the BOV450XL is generally more energy efficient than older models. The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven is the first toaster oven I can remember using where the electric cord is so big and thick that I did not have any concern that it could be melted by the heat of the toaster over. However, for those who are concerned with footprint, the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven features a cord that ends in a very solid and substantial plug; trying to place the toaster directly in front of an electric outlet does not work as the plug pushes the unit away from the wall by at least three inches!

The BOV450XL is very stylish as it is a toaster oven that will thrill anyone who likes the look of brushed steel. The unit has well-obscured black feet and an obvious ceramic glass door.

Loading the toaster oven is quite simple. This is essentially a ceramic and metal breadbox-shaped toaster oven with a large ceramic glass door in the front. The top of the door in adorned with a very solid steel handle that projects away from the door. No matter how long the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven was in use, the handle never seemed to get too hot to touch! Opening the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven is as simple as pulling the handle down, which rotates the front door open. Inside the BOV450XL is a wire rack shelf which will support a couple pounds of food. The strong steel rack does not show any signs of buckling! After the dish or bread products one wants to toast are placed in the toaster oven, one needs only to set the controls.

Unfortunately, the conrtols on the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven are not intuitive to use and are often over-complicated. First, one must adjust a dial at the top. The dial sets the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven to various cooking tasks from "toast" and "bagel" to "pizza" and "Bake." How are cookies cooked different than simply baking them in the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven? I have no clue, but they are! After the type of heat is set, the rest of the unit operates on buttons. Adjustments can be made using arrow buttons under the display to increase or decrease time or temperature. When I started cooking pizza one night, I noticed the unit was default-set to think it was frozen and had adjusted somehow; given that it was not frozen, I had to find the accompanying button (which I did by graphic alone) to change the setting. After all of those buttons are figured out, one has to actually press the "start" button. If your food is done cooking early, one must hit the Start/Cancel button and it cancels (not pauses) it.

The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven irked me because it did not have an "off" button. The unit shuts itself off after a minute, but there is something unsettling about toasting something and when it is done and the toast is pulled out, the toaster oven is primed and ready for the next slices. Perhaps this would be a big selling point to a restaurant, but for home use, it seems like the recipe for a safety issue!

On the cleaning front, the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven is very easy to use. Below the heating element, the bottom of the toaster oven is guarded by a tray that catches anything that falls off the cooking surface. As a result, keeping the Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven clean is usually just a matter of sliding the bottom tray out, wiping it off and sliding it back in! The ceramic door and the stainless steel also wipes clean with exceptional ease.

For the price, though, I would want a toaster oven that was more simple and direct to use. I like bells and whistles, but I like them to be easy to use; intuitive functionality based on a direct form. The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven does not have that. The Breville BOV450XL Toaster Oven does, however, do all the cooking and toasting it promises while looking incredible doing it!

For other kitchen appliances, please check out my reviews of:
Black And Decker CTO6120B Toaster Oven
Samsung Stainless Steel Microwave
GE GSD2100NOOWW Dishwasher

6.5/10

For other kitchen appliance reviews, please be sure to visit my Home And Garden Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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More Mediocre Than Exceptional, Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth Are Good!

The Good: Fairly inexpensive, Durable, Easy to use and clean out
The Bad: Scrubbing side is not abrasive enough to justify the expense.
The Basics: Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloths are an inexpensive option for those who want to clean, but they are not special enough to differentiate them from a pretty basic cleaning cloth.


Whenever I consider cleaning supplies, I have some pretty strong criteria for judging the value of the product. I grew up with a decent array of cleaning supplies to learn to sterilize a kitchen and bathroom, make a mirror streak-free and reuse cloths. The truth is, when it comes to the reusable cleaning supplies, there are remarkably few products that I have found that need to be more than a cleaning rag to get the job done. In the kitchen, Brillo pads and the right type of sponge pretty much trump anything. So, when my wife picked up a Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth, I was a little skeptical. She got the Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth as part of a promotion and after two weeks of use, I am glad that we did not pay full price for them.

The Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth is not bad at all, but it is in no way exceptional or special enough to justify spending money upon it instead of just using any basic rag.

The Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth is roughly square at 11 3/8” long by 11” wide by 3/16" thick kitchen scrubbing Dish Cloth! This is a yellow Dish Cloth is smooth on one side and has a textured grid on the other side. The textured side is incredibly mild, with tiny dots of rubbery scrubbing dots that have shown no wear after about two weeks of daily use!

The Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloths are easy to use, but utterly unremarkable. The dish cloths are appropriately absorbent, much like virtually any dish rag. For basic cleaning around the house, the Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth seem to work at least as well as any old linen or basic sponge. The Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth, so long as it is damp, gets dirt and dust off virtually any surface without any issue.

The abrasive side of the Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth is mild and it lives up to its promise of not-scratching things like Teflon pots and pans, which is far better than the alternative. Unfortunately, by the time I added enough elbowgrease to get off baked on pieces of food, I was using at least as much effort as I would with any other basic cleaning cloth. The Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth has nothing on a decent dish sponge.

Ironically, the Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth has a very stiff tag on it that can actually scratch through dirt and I have some concern it might scratch non-stick surfaces (certainly more than the textured side of the cloth).

The Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth is exceptionally easy to clean. While it might keep from developing a smell rather easily simply by wringing it out after each use and hanging it so it might dry, the Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth may be washed in a clothes washer and dryer and it comes out clean, dry and ready to do cleaning work again! While an industrial setting might be tempted to purchase the Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Scrubbing Dish Cloth for a business's use, it seems disproportionately expensive for its value compared to simple rags or more effective scrubbing sponges.

For other kitchen product reviews, please visit my takes on:
Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge
Lysol Citrus Scent Dual Action Wipes
Finish Quantum Powerball

4/10

For other home and garden product reviews, please visit my Home And Garden Review Index Page for a concise listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs Work Shockingly Well!

The Good: Ridiculously easy to use, Cleans surprisingly well
The Bad: No scent!
The Basics: Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs turn me around on the whole Action Pac phenomenon by working incredibly well!


I have not, traditionally, been a fan of Cascade Action Pacs. The truth is, the new dishwasher detergent packs have seemed incredibly lazy to me and disproportionately expensive. But, perhaps as a sign of me getting older and more lazy or maybe because the price truly has come down in the market over the last ten years, I keep giving various dishwashing blocks a chance. After actually being impressed by the cleaning power of the Finish Quantum Powerball detergent blocks (reviewed here!), I thought I would give Cascade another chance to impress me. And I am happy to admit that the company did impress me with a comparatively inexpensive Action Pac that actually worked incredibly well. The product is Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs and they deliver astonishingly good results!

My wife and I live in an apartment now where we have an objectively terrible dishwasher. I have long been tired of dishes coming out either still dirty or covered in detergent. It was with that in mind that I decided to risk a few cycles with Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs. And they worked incredibly well to leave our dishes spotless and truly clean, without any residues!

The Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Detergent Action Pacs are small, concentrated plastic bags that contain a block of preformed, premeasured Cascade Dishwashing detergent and three types of concentrated Dawn dish soap. The pack is about 3/5 solid detergent, 2/5 liquid/gel detergent. The premeasured packs have a thin, but strangely durable, plastic bubble that surrounds them. There are thirty-nine of these pillow packs in a container. The bags seem to be popping up at about $11.00 in retail outlets. That means for $11.00, one is getting 39 loads of dishes washed, but because the product actually works (and because I tend to find them on sale or clearance), it is hard to kvetch about the results. Where I live, we have fairly hard water and the problem of residue and not getting dishes clean makes an effective product like the Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs worth the $.28/load!

The ActionPac is ridiculously easy to use. Remove the ActionPac from the container of Action Pacs and place in the primary wash detergent dispenser in your dishwasher. The primary wash is the one that usually has the little flip door that you close after putting detergent in. Put one ActionPac in there and close it. It does not get much easier than that!

It is worthwhile and important to not that the detergent is not removed from the ActionPac when it is put into the dishwasher. The plastic bags are not supposed to be cut open before the ActionPac's contents are put in the dishwasher detergent dispenser. The ActionPac is designed to go in intact. Put it in and run your dishwasher as you normally would.

And the dishes come out clean. Perfectly clean. I have no idea how it works, but it does. The plastic bag that surrounds the ActionPac completely dissolves. The materials from the Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs quite effectively dissolved and washed away without a trace, even in hard water conditions!

Over several uses, I decided to make an effort to see what these little packs could do. And the Fresh Scent ones cleaned everything quite well, even if they did so without any real flair. They were effective at getting off all levels of food matter that had been left on silverware, plastic cookware, and all manner of ceramic dishes and glasses. I put in every combination of cookware, flatware and dishware coated with food, dirt, coffee stains, grease and sauces that I could think of. ALL of the dishes came out clean and clear every time. Not one piece I put in needed so much as a touch up or polishing.

With the general price drop on whole solutions for dishwashing, the only real strike against the Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs is that they have no discernible scent. Despite being called Fresh Scent, the dishwasher is odorless during and after the cleaning cycle, so there is no olfactory benefit to these Action Pacs that makes them at all exciting or stimulating. As a result, these are a decent standard, but not one that is worthwhile for those using the dishwasher to help the house have an aromatic experience!

The Fresh Scent Formula Action Pacs work delightfully and are a comparatively affordable way to effectively clean one's dishes, especially highly-soiled dishes in hard water conditions where one does not want to bother with scrubbing! The Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs are simple to use and they work. The Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs might well be ideal for people who have trouble with motor control and might otherwise spill dishwashing detergent when trying to load a dishwasher or those who have trouble judging how much to use. The premeasured packets are very efficient in that regard. And people who do not like strong scents might actually like how the dishes come out clean and there are no obtrusive scents while using the Cascade Platinum Fresh Scent Action Pacs.

For other dishwashing products, please be sure to visit my reviews of:
Seventh Generation Lemongrass & Clementine Zest Natural Dish Liquid
Ultra Palmolive Antibacterial Orange Dish Soap
Finish Jet-Dry

8/10

For other home and garden product reviews, please visit my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Incredibly Simple, The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale Is Too Small To Be Useful To Most!

The Good: Easy to use, Very inexpensive, Small footprint
The Bad: Very small, Battery operated (with no corded option), Small screen
The Basics: The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a bit disappointing compared to other digital kitchen scales I have used.


When it comes to kitchen appliances, there is a fine balance between having a small footprint that makes an appliance useful while taking up a minimum of counter space and being functional. Sometimes, there is something that places the premium on saving space and lowering initial cost that it fails to be as useful as it ought to be. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is one such item.

The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a small, battery-powered electronic digital scale that is far less useful in the kitchen than most other scales I have used, though it is accurate. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale are a very simple white plastic scale, without any sort of receptacle for placing foods on in an easy-to-separate way. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is powered by two AAA batteries, which last several months with daily use.

The batteries are housed in the bottom of the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale. The scale is an 6 1/2” long by 5” wide by 1 5/16” white plastic scale. On the front of the top of the scale is an LCD screen – 1 1/2” wide by 5/8" tall – and there are two buttons below the screen. The button on the right turns the power off and calibrates the scale, the button on the left changes the units displayed on the screen. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale allows one to measure items in ounces, grams and pounds (to the thousandth!). The weighing surface of the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a 4 5/16" in diameter disc. That surface is comparatively small for a kitchen scale and it is very hard to see the screen with anything one is trying to weigh that is larger than a hamburger bun.

Using the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is fairly simple. Simply press the right button and the screen will come to life. The large block number/letters activate and flash as the unit calibrates. It will then change on its own to the current weight. When it is first turned on, it calibrates to zero. To calibrate it so it does not count the weight of any sort of vessel one wants to exclude, place it on the disc and hit the “Power” button again. The unit will then calibrate to zero and from the new zero point, you will be able to weigh whatever you want atop a larger surface (or in a mug/measuring cup if one needs to weigh a liquid).

I was not impressed by the small weighing surface and the fact that there is no A/C corded option to power the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale. As well, in the heat of moving around an active kitchen trying to cook, the screen on the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is very small.

Cleaning the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is easy, so long as no fluids get into the space between the weighing disc and the bottom unit. The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale may easily be cleaned with a washcloth or dish sponge; it is non-porous and wipes clean easily.

We found that the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale remained accurate, but it required fairly frequent recalibration and the moment it was off-balance, it required recalibrating. The problem with the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale was that to weigh something big on the scale required something like a plate, which blocked the screen and often unbalanced the unit.

The Meco Digital Kitchen Scale is a very basic scale and people who have small servings or spices they need to measure might find it worthwhile. But for those who are dieting and need a serious scale for portion control, the Meco Digital Kitchen Scale falls woefully shy of being worthwhile.

For other scales, please visit my reviews of:
Oneida 2 Piece Scale Set
Health O' Meter HDM560DQ-05 Weight Tracking Scale
Smart Weigh SMS500-B Smart Memory Scale

4/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please visit my Appliance Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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So Much More Than A Travel Mug: The Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser!

The Good: Durable, Keeps liquids hot for hours
The Bad: Pricy, Flow is over-regulated for big mouths.
The Basics: The Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser is great for those who want to brew tea on the go!


Two winter holidays ago, my wife and I got travel mugs for the holiday. I was gifted the Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser because of my love of tea and having used it now for a year and a half, I feel like I am in a good position to actually talk about it. The Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser is good for travel and it does great at keeping beverages hot for hours!

The Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser is a 12 fl. oz. travel mug that is clear plastic and double layered to effectively insulate the beverage in the inner cup portion. The mug is a simple plastic cylinder without a handle. The top of the mug has a plastic cap that screws on. To use the Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser, one need only fill the inner plastic mug, then screw on the plastic cap. To access the beverage inside, press the snap lever on the back and it opens a hole on the opposite side of the cap.

What makes the Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser different from most travel mugs is the lever on the side of the Infuser mug's top. The lever is connected to a metal basket on the underside of the top. The basket it small and holds enough loose-leaf tea to properly infuse the boiling water that is placed inside the mug. The mesh for the metal basket is very fine and within only five minutes, the boiling water one places inside is turned into well-brewed tea! Sealed and with the top closed, this travel mug has kept beverages at almost the same temperature as when it was poured for over three hours. What is truly extraordinary about the Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser is that when one snaps open the access hole and continues to drink from it, it keeps beverages piping hot for over two hours! In other words, partially-drunk beverages remain hot even after one has begun consuming it.

The plastic body of the Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser may be washed in the dishwasher, but the top must be hand washed. In order to keep this tall mug thin-enough so it may fit into the standard cupholder (in our futon and in our car), the mug is thin-enough that those of us with big hands have trouble cleaning it out using our hands, which makes it good that it is dishwasher safe - especially given that it does not come with any form of cleaning brush. The only other detraction for me is that the opening for getting the drink out of the cap limits the flow enough to force me to drink slower than I usually would.

The Aladdin Perfect Cup Tea Infuser is pretty wonderful and well worth investing in for anyone who loves tea on the go!

For other kitchen gadgets that are beverage-related, please check out my reviews of:
Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug
ThinkGeek Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey mug

8/10

For other appliance reviews, please check out my Appliance Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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I'll Take Durability Over Comfort: The Home Essentials Can Opener Works!

The Good: Durable, Easy to use, Inexpensive, Easy to clean
The Bad: Not the most comfortable grip
The Basics: The Home Essentials Can Opener is durable and efficient, even if it is not the most comfortable kitchen gadget to use!


Once upon a time, my wife and I had a Faberware 83036-93 Can Opener (reviewed here!). The plastic handle on it, predictably, eventually broke making the device absolutely worthless. To replace it, we bought a Home Essentials Can Opener. The Home Essentials Can Opener has all metal parts, with a decent rubber grip on the handle, so it cannot have the same issue as with the Faberware can opener. Given how durable the Faberware can opener turned out to be, I would probably not have rated it so highly if I were to review it over the course of its entire life.

The Home Essentials Can Opener is 7 1/4” long by 2 1/2” wide and 1 7/8” thick. The black rubber grip covers the stainless steel on the grips; the rest of the device is naked stainless steel. The rounded grips are very comfortable and they make it very easy to squeeze and use the can opener without straining one’s gripping hand. The handle, which one turns while squeezing the grips, is metal, rectangular and not at all designed for comfort. As a result, this can opener is ideal for my wife and I - who now have very little in the way of canned foods in our diets - as opposed to a restaurant where cooks would be opening many, many cans in a day.

To use the Home Essentials Can Opener, simply open the top of the can opener by spreading the grips apart, and place the cutting wheel onto the top of the can one wishes to open. Squeeze the grips and the cutting wheel will penetrate the top of the can. While one hand squeezes the grips, the other should twist the handle. That will cut open the metal top. The Home Essentials Can Opener does not leave a jagged edge on the can one opens. The top is a little sharp, but that is to be expected of exceptionally thin metal.

The Home Essentials Can Opener also has an additional can/bottle opener – the hook style that one might use to remove the tops of beer bottles or puncture giant juice cans (like Juicy Juice). After months of use, the Home Essentials Can Opener has stood up as durable and it has remained as tight as when we bought it, despite use at least every other day. Because it is made with steel, this can opener is easy to clean off with a damp cloth.

Easy to clean, inexpensive and durable, the Home Essentials Can Opener might not be comfortable to use over long periods of time, but it gets the job done!

For other kitchen gadgets, please visit my reviews of:
ThinkGeek Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set
Pyrex Bake N' Store 8 Piece Set
RSVP 60 & 50 mm Espresso Tamper

7.5/10

For other kitchen appliances, please visit my Appliance Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Another Near-Miss From ThinkGeek: The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set!

The Good: Nice artwork, Collectible value
The Bad: Expensive for pint glasses, "Function" does not work properly, Not dishwasher safe, Poor durability
The Basics: The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glasses from ThinkGeek are cute, but not durable enough to live up to all they promise.


Despite there being a ton of coffee mugs around my house, my wife still managed to find something new and cool for me to drink out of. For the holidays, she decided to further lessen our cabinet space by picking up some pint glasses for me. As I get into drinking more cold drinks (especially milkshakes!), she thought I should be drinking out of something other than coffee mugs. So, she picked me up two different sets of Star Wars pint glasses from ThinkGeek. While the Star Wars Cloud City pint glass set (reviewed here!) did not quite thrill me as much as I hoped based on its promised function, the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth pint glasses were pretty awesome, regardless of the lack of functionality to their special function. Like the other pint glasses, though, the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 utilize a gimmick that does not work like it is supposed to.

The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 are two identical pint glasses that feature artwork from The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The pint glasses are predominantly blue and white and feature the AT-AT's coming across the ice plains of Hoth with a snowspeeder headed toward them.

The Star Wars Pint Glass Set Of 2 features artwork that is identical to the promotional photos of the AT-ATs on Hoth that have appeared in books and things like toy boxes for years - since The Empire Strikes Back was released. The AT-ATs are silkscreened on heavy, clear glass. Each set of two is identical and features the same glass in duplicate. As the name implies, each pint glass holds a little over two cups worth of liquid. A whole 16 fl. oz. fits into the glass. Wider at the top, the 5 3/4” tall clear glass drinking glasses are both identical, including the image silkscreened onto them.

The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 was constructed with a color-changing gimmick. The snowspeeder is supposed to be invisible until a cold liquid is placed into the glass. Unfortunately, the snowspeeder is entirely visible, regardless of there being any liquid in the glass and while it is initially faint, it does get darker like it is supposed to. When a cold liquid is placed in the pint glass, the snowspeeder gets more distinct and darker, but it never truly fades to be anywhere near close to surprising for its appearance when a liquid is added. This was less of a detraction for me because the snowspeeder being visible the whole time looks authentic and cool - and is appropriate for the setting without any form of "cloaking."

The Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set Of 2 is not at all durable. It took less than a week of using and cleaning the pint glasses before each of them showed noticeable wear. While the snowspeeder on the glasses held up fine, the rest of the silkscreening showed some chips and scratches. The glasses are not dishwasher safe and having hand washed the pint glasses with softer cloths to try to avoid damage, it was especially frustrating that the glasses already show wear to the silkscreening.

Fans of Star Wars will probably excuse the lack of a true color-changing element to the Star Wars Battle Of Hoth Pint Glass Set because the snowspeeder looks good enough even slightly faded against the Hoth snowscape and the AT-ATs are just awesome. The glasses would have been perfect without the gimmick, but with the gimmick being a mild failure, these just become somewhat average pint glasses from ThinkGeek.

For other kitchen supplies, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Pint Glass Set Of 4
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey Mug
Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set

5/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please be sure to visit my Kitchen Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Awesome (Unless You Want It For What It Promises!): ThinkGeek's Cloud City Pint Glass Set!

The Good: Nice artwork, Collectible value
The Bad: Expensive for pint glasses, "Function" does not work properly, Not dishwasher safe, Poor durability
The Basics: ThinkGeek rushed its Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glasses to market before the holidays last year . . . and it shows!


My wife is always looking for gifts for me because, as a collector who has a head start of over a decade of collecting, it can be hard to find gifts for me that I either don't already have or have not already dismissed. Last year, right before the holidays, it seemed like she struck paydirt in the gift department when she found a whole bunch of things from ThinkGeek for me. The first thing she was excited to give me was a set of two Star Wars Cloud City pint glasses. Unfortunately, the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 is based on a gimmick and the gimmick does not work like it is supposed to.

The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 are two identical pint glasses that feature artwork based on The Empire Strikes Back (reviewed here!). The pint glasses are predominantly blue and white and feature the Millennium Falcon flying toward the Cloud City station hovering in the clouds of Bespin.

The Star Wars Pint Glass Set Of 2 features artwork that looks like the original optical painting of Cloud City silkscreened on heavy, clear glass. Each set of two is identical and features the same glass in duplicate. As the name implies, each pint glass holds a little over two cups worth of liquid. A whole 16 fl. oz. fits into the glass. Wider at the top, the 5 3/4” tall clear glass drinking glasses are both identical, including the artwork silkscreened onto them.

Unfortunately, the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 was constructed with a color-changing gimmick. The Millennium Falcon is supposed to be invisible until a cold liquid is placed into the glass. Sadly, the Millennium Falcon is entirely visible, regardless of there being any liquid in the glass and it is about as faint as the Cloud City station; which is deliberately hazy to give it a sense of perspective, being further back. When a cold liquid is placed in the pint glass, the Millennium Falcon gets more distinct and darker, but it never truly fades to be anywhere near close to surprising for its appearance when a liquid is added.

The Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set Of 2 is not at all durable. It took less than a week of using and cleaning the pint glasses before each of them showed noticeable wear. While the Millennium Falcon on the glasses held up fine, the rest of the silkscreening showed some chips and scratches. The glasses are not dishwasher safe and having hand washed the pint glasses with softer cloths to try to avoid damage, it was especially frustrating that the glasses already show wear to the silkscreening.

Fans of Star Wars are likely to fall in love with the concept of the Star Wars Cloud City Pint Glass Set, but be dismayed by the execution of it.

For other kitchen supplies, be sure to visit my reviews of:
Star Trek Decloaking Klingon Bird Of Prey Mug
CocoStraw Stainless Steel Straw Set
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Pint Glass Set Of 4

3.5/10

For other kitchen product reviews, please be sure to visit my Kitchen Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Near-Perfect, The CocoStraw Stainless Steel Straw Set Is Worth Buying!

The Good: Durable, Affordable, Useful, Does not corrode
The Bad: Cleaner brush is somewhat fragile
The Basics: The cleaner brush that has nylon bristles that break off with unfortunate frequency is all that robs the CocoStraw 5-Piece Stainless Steel Straw Set of a perfect rating!


The more things I have, the more it seems that there are accessories to covet! When my wife bought me a Hamilton Beach Milkshake Maker (reviewed here!) and all sorts of things to drink with, I found myself suddenly in the market for something more. Recently, she supplemented the milkshake gifts with a set of CocoStraw 5-Piece Stainless Steel Straws! These simple stainless steel Stainless Steel Straws are pretty much essential for anyone who loves milkshakes or drinking out of tall glasses and does not want the waste of plastic, disposable straws. And CocoStraw gets the concept perfectly right with the execution almost perfect.

The CocoStraw 5-Piece Stainless Steel Straw Set contains four stainless steel Stainless Steel Straws, each measuring 8 1/2” long and 5/8” in diameter. Each Stainless Steel Straw is a simple metal tube that allows one to suck fluid through. The four stainless steel straws are supplemented by an 8 1/2" long wire brush that features nylon bristles that are flexible enough to fit into the straw and strong enough to clean anything out of the brush.

Using the Stainless Steel Straw is ridiculously simple; place the straw in a beverage and suck on the end. If it becomes occluded simply remove it from the ice cream and reverse the straw and suck on the bottom end!

This set is great because the straws are durable and they do exactly what they promise. The Stainless Steel Straws are one of the more affordable ones on the market, which makes their durability a real selling point; one might only have to buy one or two sets in a lifetime, CocoStraw did such a quality job with making them! After months of use, ours have not warped or rusted at all. As well, the brush is an excellent touch!

The only detraction of the CocoStraw Stainless Steel Straw Set is simple: the cleaning brush in this set is more fragile than one might like. Almost from the first use, the brush would leave a nylon bristle or two in the sink after one uses it to wash out the stainless steel straws. After several months of use, the nylon brush is noticeably missing bristles. As a result, the brush works, but it will need to be replaced well before the straws ever need to be replaced.

This is not enough of a detriment to keep us from enthusiastically recommending the CocoStraw Stainless Steel Straws, but one might want to order an extra brush or two when one gets them!

For other kitchen gadgets, please check out my reviews of:
Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug (20 oz.)
RSVP International 60 & 50 mm Espresso Tamper
Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set

9/10

For other home and garden product reviews, please check out my Home And Garden Product Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Best Baster Set Yet! The Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set Thrills Chefs!

The Good: Cleaning brush is excellent, Durable, Affordable, Very useful!
The Bad: Gets very hot.
The Basics: The Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set is the best baster I've yet found for serious cooking, despite getting hot when used a lot!


I am not one who tends to complain a lot about problems that are entirely foreseeable with a product, based on style and design. So, when my wife and I were trying to pick out a baster recently and we discovered that virtually every review of the stainless steel basters complained that the kitchen gadget got hot. That was kind of a "well, duh" thing for us and I thought it was just kind of pointless kvetching. With my love of stainless steel kitchen gadgets, we decided to go with the Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set.

After having a somewhat disastrous attempt to drain a lasagna and another attempt to baste a turkey, we decided we needed to get a baster. Using the baster for the ham we had last weekend and several other little projects, the Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster set proved its worth to us. And it did get hot, but usually, it was not unmanageably hot. Norpro could have alleviated the heat problem by providing a rubber grip on the shaft of the baster, but instead, this is a pretty traditional baster with a smooth exterior.

The Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set contains a single baster, a stainless steel needle and a cleaning brush. The baster is stainless steel and rubber, measuring 10 1/4” long from rubber bulb to the stainless steel metal tip. The baster can be extended by screwing the stainless steel needle into the tip of the tube. The extra two inches allow one to remove fluid from the middle of roasts or wetter meats. The set also comes with an 8 1/4" long metal and stiff plastic brush. The bristles allow one to easily clean out the baster.

Using the stainless steel baster is very simple; place the end of the baster in the fluid after squeezing the rubber bulb at the top of the baster. After the end is in the fluid - water, hot grease, etc. - simply release the bulb and it will suck up the liquid. To remove the fluid, squeeze the bulb again and it squirts the fluid out fast and strongly! Obviously, if one is working with a hot fluid, one has to be sure to squirt it somewhere safe, like back onto the meat one is cooking!

The stainless steel baster set has good suction and while I have only been using it for a few weeks now, the rubber seems pretty durable. I have not had any issues with the rubber bulb leaking at the top of the baster.

The Norpro Deluxe Stainless Steel Baster Set is exceptionally easy to clean thanks to the brush that comes with it. Simply pop the bulb off the top of the stainless steel tube that is the bulk of the baster and slide the brush into the tube. Agitating it cleans out the grease, meaty bits or other remnants inside the tube. The bulb can then be replaced on the top of the baster and it works just fine then.

Despite the fact that the baster retains heat in ways that makes it a little difficult to use on long projects with repetitive, hot, basting, the Norpro Stainless Steel Baster Set is an essential kitchen gadget and the one I've found that works best!

For other kitchen gadgets, please check out my reviews of:
Pyrex Bake N' Store 8-Piece Set
RSVP Stainless Steel Straw Set
Contigo SnapSeal Vacuum-Insulated Stainless Steel Travel Mug (20 oz.)

9/10

For other home and garden product reviews, please check out my Home And Garden Product Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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